Whether or not you agree with public media’s coverage, the recent passage of federal funding cuts by the House and Senate will result in wide-ranging impacts on Colorado and other local markets.
To put this into perspective, the federal appropriation to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), the organization that distributes funds to public media, is roughly one one-hundredth of a percent (0.01%) of the federal budget. It’s not even a drop in the bucket, yet these funds help maintain a reliable and independent public media system.
That said, we wanted to offer some points on the ramifications of these cuts and their impact on these information sources.
A public media primer
Public media refers to broadcast and digital media outlets that focus on serving the public interest rather than commercial or political interests. They are typically funded through public donations, listener/viewer contributions, and corporate underwriting. They provide diverse, educational, independent and informative content to all communities. Locally, this includes Rocky Mountain PBS, PBS 12, Colorado Public Radio (CPR), KRCC, and countless others including an immense number of rural radio stations — stations that avoid commercial and political influence in their reporting and programming. These stations are critical in communities where there is a high road-travel population who listens to public radio while commuting.
Why the cuts will run deep
Loss of local information and coverage
- Rural areas: Many rural and underserved communities depend on local public media as their sole source of in-depth reporting. With reduced funding, staff reductions, possible consolidations or closures may result, especially in places like Colorado’s Western Slope and Northern Colorado, where coverage is already limited. Local organizations and small businesses may lose a platform for public service announcements, community partnerships and event coverage.
- Social engagement: While social media is now a common news source, we need to remember, much of the content still originates from vetted, trusted journalists. Losing that increases reliance on unchecked, biased or false information.
- Uninformed decision-making: An uninformed public is more vulnerable to making decisions that impact local policy, public health and economic growth.
Absence of a local voice and personality
- Reduced resources: With fewer reporters and financial resources, stations may become more reliant on syndicated national content, reducing the connection to the local community.
- Less local coverage: This trend mirrors what we’ve witnessed with some local media outlets, where reductions in staff have led to an overreliance on national wire services and syndication of stories that do not directly impact or reflect Denver or Colorado.
- Personalities in media are all but gone: Gone are the days when local society or gossip columnists informed the community about what was new and what to do. It’s getting more and more difficult to find one media outlet that connects us as one community. Public media helps keep us informed together as a community.
Economic ripples
- Job losses: Reporters, producers, sound engineers and support staff are often the first impacted by funding reductions. We’re already experiencing a shortage of skilled storytellers in the field; this will only increase the impact.
- Business contractors: Highly qualified and seasoned freelance journalists, engineers and/or videographers frequently rely on public media for project work.
Culture and education
- Homegrown debate keeps us all balanced and informed.
- Not everyone has cable or streaming services. Free educational programming, like PBS Kids, is essential for many families. As Colorado’s 2024 Teacher of the Year stated in a PSA GBSM helped produce earlier this year, “Most of my students wouldn’t have been as ready for school as they are if it weren’t for PBS’ content.”
- Arts and cultural coverage that private media tends to avoid now due to reduced staffing numbers and consolidated beats.
- Local arts, cultural organizations, museums, and schools lose visibility and support which impacts event attendance and public funding.
Public safety information and alerts
- The Corporation for Public Broadcasting funds and maintains the nation’s radio and television emergency alert systems.
- Public radio and TV serve as key sources of information during natural disasters or public emergencies to communities with limited access to commercial stations.
Public media serves as a critical platform by:
- Explaining complex local issues in easy-to-understand language
- Offers balanced perspectives through point-counterpoint formats
- Funds award-winning educational documentaries like Ken Burns’ work on the Civil War and his upcoming similar series on the Revolutionary War
- Sharing local stories that reflect the community’s values and challenges
- Hosting candidate forums and debates
Before we jump off our soap box…
There is no doubt that change is inevitable and necessary within the current media environment. But without reliable and checked sources, we are continuing down the slippery slope of a society that will be more divided and less informed. And one that doesn’t know if the information they access is true.
Public media serves as one of the last non-commercial, non-partisan platforms for civic dialogue, cultural discussion and preservation, and community connections. This is not political, and the loss of funding isn’t just a tiny budget line item, it’s a loss of local voice, access, and accountability for countless communities in Colorado.
